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Real Estate Industry

“All the news that's fit to print,” or to click, as the case may be, can be found right here at your favorite real estate social networking site, ActiveRain. And here you thought it was merely a great place to chat with colleagues and slap up a blog post or two.


We know you're busy – whether it's trying to fill your pipeline or following up on what's already popped out of the bottom of it. Who has time to read? And, while real estate market news geared toward consumers is easy to round up on the Internet, news for brokers and Realtors is a bit harder to come by.


Your friends at ActiveRain understand how important each of those 168 hours in every week is so we've made it easy for you by consolidating everything you need to know to keep up-to-date with the real estate industry right here, in one place.


How are housing starts looking? Has the FHFA launched any new efforts? How's that Fannie and Freddie loan limit rollercoaster doing?


You've got the questions and your colleagues here at AR have the answers. It's at your fingertips – finally.

Recent blogs on Real Estate Industry
By Adam Scard, World traveler and lover of real estate trends
A mobile home sitting unused for years can quickly become a problem. What once felt like a temporary situation often turns into a long-term burden. In this case, the home had been sitting there for three years, and now the family wanted it gone.At first, it may not seem urgent. Life gets busy, and dealing with an unused property keeps getting pushed aside. Over time, the condition worsens, costs add up, and the situation becomes harder to manage.This guide explains what happens when a mobile home sits too long and what steps you can take to remove the burden and move forward.Why Letting It Sit Made Things WorseLeaving a mobile home unused creates several issues. Weather exposure, lack of maintenance, and time all take a toll. What could have been a small repair early on often turns into...
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By Adam Scard, World traveler and lover of real estate trends
In the U.S. real estate market, bathrooms are one of the most influential spaces affecting buyer perception and final offer decisions. While kitchens often receive the most attention, bathrooms play an equally important role in determining whether a home feels modern, well-maintained, and worth the asking price.According to remodeling industry reports and contractor estimates in the U.S., bathroom upgrades consistently rank among the most impactful interior improvements for resale performance. However, their return on investment (ROI) varies significantly depending on the scope of renovation, market conditions, and whether homeowners choose full remodels or targeted cosmetic upgrades.For most sellers, the key is not over-renovation, but strategic improvements focused on high-visibility ...
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By Adam Scard, World traveler and lover of real estate trends
The red deer new homes market continues to evolve in 2026, and one of the biggest trends shaping buyer demand is the growing popularity of new construction homes. Across Central Alberta, buyers are increasingly drawn toward modern builds that offer energy efficiency, updated layouts, lower maintenance requirements, and builder incentives that can make purchasing a newly built property more attractive than buying an older resale home.While the Red Deer market remains relatively balanced compared to larger Alberta cities, demand for well-priced homes is still strong. Inventory has improved compared to previous years, but many buyers are becoming more selective and strategic with their purchases.One reason for this shift is affordability. Red Deer continues to offer a lower average home pr...
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By Adam Scard, World traveler and lover of real estate trends
AI and automation is becoming a big part of generating leads for refinance leads in 2026 and beyond for loan officers and real estate brokers. For example, you can now set automations in your CRM to monitor your contacts mortgages against latest market rates, qualify for refinancing and launch timely outreach cost-effectivelyLoan officers and brokers spend days making endless cold calls, laborious manual outreach or run mass email blasts that can be untimely and risk being labeled as spam. AI and automation within CRM systems can auto score existing clients against market rates and even utilize landing pages, targeted ads or list of prospects to pull in qualified leads and reach out to them automatically while you work on other things like direct engagement and closing.Master auto-pilot...
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By Adam Scard, World traveler and lover of real estate trends
Homeowners inside Winnipeg face some of the harshest weather conditions across Canada. During the winter season, temperatures often fall below minus 40, while heavy clay soil under houses keeps moving foundations almost every year. Because of these conditions together, plumbing systems inside homes usually experience a lot of stress over long periods.When drains begin slowing down, water pressure suddenly becomes weak, or basement flooding starts becoming a concern during snow melting season, these problems actually are very common among Winnipeg homeowners. Understanding these issues earlier often helps avoiding much bigger and expensive plumbing damage later.This guide explains several common plumbing problems in Winnipeg homes, along with practical solutions homeowners can follow bef...
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By Adam Scard, World traveler and lover of real estate trends
Selling a home is already a stressful process, and the last thing you want is to pour thousands of dollars into a bathroom renovation that barely moves your asking price. Here's the good news: you do not need a complete overhaul to make your bathroom look fresh and sale-ready. With the right approach, smart priorities, and a little planning, you can upgrade your bathroom without emptying your savings account. This guide walks you through exactly how to do that. 70% Of buyers, bathrooms as top deciding factor $1,200 avg. spend on a budget-friendly bathroom refresh 62% ROI on mid-range bathroom renovations at resale Section 01. Know What Buyers Notice FirstWhen a potential buyer walks into a bathroom, their eyes go straight to a few things: the condition of the fixtures, the grout lines, ...
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By Kerri Naslund-Monday, Savvy Bay Area CA Real Estate Team Leader
(Keller Williams/ The Monday Team)
There is a moment in almost every transaction where the client wobbles.Sometimes it happens at the inspection. Sometimes it's when the appraisal comes back and the number isn't what anyone expected. Sometimes it's completely unprompted ... a Sunday night spiral where they start questioning everything and send a series of increasingly anxious texts that arrive at 11pm.How an agent handles that moment ... that's the whole job right there.I've been in this long enough to know that the wobble is not the problem. The wobble is normal. Buying or selling a home is one of the largest financial and emotional decisions most people will ever make and the idea that it should happen without a single moment of doubt is just not realistic.The problem is when the agent wobbles with the client.I've seen...
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By Kerri Naslund-Monday, Savvy Bay Area CA Real Estate Team Leader
(Keller Williams/ The Monday Team)
Let me tell you what happens when a seller leads with the wrong thing.I was working with a seller in the Laurel District ... wonderful woman, meticulous about the home, genuinely proud of what she'd built there over fifteen years. But she had gotten in her head about the one thing the house didn't have: a proper dining room. The layout had a large eat-in kitchen and a living space that flowed beautifully but no separate formal dining room.By the time I got there she had already decided this was The Problem. Capital T, capital P. She had convinced herself that every buyer was going to walk in, see the lack of a formal dining room, and walk out.So her instinct was to price it low to compensate. "We'll just account for it in the price," she said.I asked her who she thought was going to buy...
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By Kerri Naslund-Monday, Savvy Bay Area CA Real Estate Team Leader
(Keller Williams/ The Monday Team)
I want to tell you about a couple I worked with in Alameda.Two architects. Which ... I will tell you right now ... is both a blessing and a curse when it comes to buying a home. The blessing is that they understood space and light and proportion in a way most buyers don't. The curse is that they also noticed every single thing that wasn't perfect and had very specific opinions about all of it.We had been looking for four months.Every house had something. Wrong ceiling height. Awkward transition between the living room and the kitchen. A bathroom addition that was technically functional but aesthetically ... a choice. One house got eliminated because the staircase was, I quote, "sending mixed messages."I love them. I also aged slightly during those four months.Then we walked into a house...
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By Charles Stallions, 850-476-4494 - Pensacola, Pace or Gulf Breeze, Fl.
(Charles Stallions Real Estate Services )
 🏡 PUT Charles In Charge™ — Your Gulf Coast Homeownership Advisor You’ve heard the whispers. “You don’t want to buy there — insurance is too high.” “Stay away from that neighborhood — premiums are outrageous.”But like most things in real estate, the truth isn’t found in the rumor mill. It’s found in the numbers, the construction details, the flood maps, and the local patterns; only someone who works in Pensacola, Pace, and Gulf Breeze every single day can see clearly.Let’s break down what’s actually happening with insurance across our Gulf Coast communities — and why some of the most misunderstood neighborhoods are quietly becoming some of the smartest buys. 🔍 1. “High Insurance Areas” Aren’t Always Where You Think Many buyers assume anything near the water automatically equals sky‑high...
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By Peter Mohylsky, Broker, Call me at 850-517-7098
(Property Management Inc.-Destin)
The subject of interest rates is always a hot topic in the Real Estate World.  It is a part of the industry that is followed very intensely by all the industry observers.  The aspect that needs to be included in same conversation is that the real estate market reacts to several different metrics including supply and demand. Price of homes moves in independent action that needs to be included in the same equation as well.  Prices go up and down, interest rates go up and down as well,  I don't think you can time or predict either factor.If Interest rate go down and prices go up you are still making the same financial decision.  Bottom line, Stay in the know and give me a call to share your thoughts as we navigate this mine field together.  Read the full article to stay in the know #articl...
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By Dr. Paula McDonald, Granbury, TX 936-203-0279
(Beam & Branch Realty)
As I have sold more historic properties over the past 10 years, I’ve noticed a trend in the real estate market. Something interesting is happening in real estate right now: buyers are no longer chasing just square footage — they’re chasing character, authenticity, and story. For years, luxury was defined by the McMansion, new construction with all of the bells and whistles, and the never-ending list of amenities.What is starting to trend recently is a draw to something far harder to replicate. Many buyers are seeking the nostalgia of the days gone by and are appreciating the nuances of the historic home. These older homes exemplify character, charm, and details that are just hard to replicate.  From restored Victorians to historic downtown buildings and legacy waterfront homes, historic...
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By Linda Edelwich, Serving Glastonbury & Beyond | 218 New London Trnk
(William Raveis Real Estate)
If you work this market, or if you are a homeowner trying to get a clear read on values, the first four months of 2026 in Marlborough give us something useful to work with. Not directional trends or regional averages. Actual closed data from actual transactions in town.Here is what seventeen sales between January 5 and April 30 tell us.The numbers at a glanceMedian sale price: $365,000. Mean: $458,118. The gap between those two figures is worth noting because it reflects the range at work in this market.The lowest closing was $175,000 for a 1949 colonial on Parker Road requiring significant cosmetic work. The highest was $1,175,000 for a 4,746 square foot custom colonial in Blackledge Estates that went under contract in five days.Price per finished square foot ran from $114 on the low e...
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By William Piotrowski, Just Call William 630-881-8655
(Diamond Residential Mortgage Corporation )
🏘️📉 TOWNHOUSE CONSTRUCTION COOLS IN 2026 📉🏘️The latest data shows a clear slowdown in townhouse (single-family attached) construction as affordability pressures continue to shape buyer demand across the housing market.📊 FIRST QUARTER 2026 SNAPSHOT:• Townhouse starts: 34,000 units• Down 21% year-over-year• Weakest quarter since early 2023Over the past year, townhouse construction totaled 163,000 units — about 7% lower than the prior four-quarter period. This segment now represents roughly 16% of all single-family housing starts.Even on a longer trend basis, market share has slipped:📉 17.6% (1-year moving average)📉 Down from a peak of 18.7% in late 2025For context, townhouse construction has grown significantly over the past two decades — rising from a long-run peak of 14.6% in 2008 — dri...
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On May 19, 2026, National Association of Realtors® (NAR) reported that nationwide pending contract signed home sales gained 1.4% April of 2026 from March of 2026, and up 3.2% from April of 2025.Pending home sales index in the Northeast jumped 6.6% in April of 2026 from March of 2026, but down 0.6% from April of 2025..Pending home sales index in the Midwest rose 3.0% in April of 2026 from March of 2026, and gained 2.7% from April of 2025.Pending home sales index in the South dropped 0.7% in April of 2026 from March of 2026, but higher 4.7% from April of 2025.Pending home sales index in the West increased 0.9% in April of 2026 from March of 2026, and grew 3.8% from April of 2025.Lawrence Yun, NAR chief economist, stated “Demand will easily be even higher once mortgage rates retreat to the...
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By Adam Scard, World traveler and lover of real estate trends
Hiring an architecture or interior design firm is one of the biggest decisions you'll make for any major building or renovation project. The firm you choose doesn't just influence how your space looks — they shape how it functions, how the process feels, how smoothly construction goes, and ultimately how much value the finished project delivers. With so many options out there, knowing what to look for and what questions to ask makes all the difference.What Great Architecture Firms Bring to a ProjectThe best architecture firms do a lot more than produce drawings. They listen carefully at the start, translate your vision into something buildable, and stay engaged throughout the entire process to make sure the design intent carries through to the finished product. They think about how a sp...
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By Adam Scard, World traveler and lover of real estate trends
Replacing your windows is a bigger decision than most people realize going in. It's not just about picking something that looks good — it's about understanding how different window types perform in different situations, what features actually matter for your specific climate and home, and how to make sure you're getting real value out of the investment rather than just checking a box. This guide breaks down what you actually need to know before you buy.Understanding the Different Types of Vinyl WindowsNot all windows are the same, and the type of window that makes sense in one room of your home may not be the right choice in another. Understanding the basic categories helps you have more informed conversations with suppliers and installers and make better decisions for each opening.Doub...
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By Adam Scard, World traveler and lover of real estate trends
Windows are one of those parts of a house that most people don't think about until something is obviously wrong. A draft in winter, a window that won't open, condensation between the panes — these are the moments that make homeowners realize their windows have been quietly underperforming for years. The good news is that modern vinyl windows have made window replacement more accessible, more energy efficient, and more durable than ever before. Knowing when to replace and what to look for makes the whole process a lot less overwhelming.The Signs Your Windows Are Ready to Be ReplacedWindows don't usually fail dramatically. They deteriorate gradually in ways that are easy to ignore until the cumulative effect becomes impossible to overlook. Here are the clearest signs that replacement is w...
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By Adam Scard, World traveler and lover of real estate trends
Remodeling your home is one of the most exciting and most stressful things you can do as a homeowner. The excitement comes from the possibility — a kitchen that finally works the way you need it to, a bathroom that feels like a real retreat, a space that reflects who you are and how you actually live. The stress comes from everything else — finding the right contractor, managing a budget, living through construction, and making a thousand decisions you weren't expecting to make. Getting the planning right before a single wall comes down makes all the difference.Why Roanoke Homeowners Have Unique Remodeling ConsiderationsRoanoke has a housing stock that's largely older, which means remodeling projects here often come with discoveries that newer construction doesn't. Older homes have char...
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By Adam Scard, World traveler and lover of real estate trends
You cannot talk about the current state of luxury real estate in the Las Vegas valley without immediately hitting the wall of scarcity. For the last decade, if you wanted a brand-new, highly customized modern home in the master plan of Summerlin, you basically had to accept being pushed further into the northern and western ridges, often sacrificing backyard space or privacy. Ascension completely broke that pattern. Spanning 261 guard-gated acres in the Peaks village of Summerlin South, this community sits in the highly prized 89135 zip code, giving buyers a rare combination: immediate proximity to the mountain peaks and a five-minute drive to Downtown Summerlin.What is driving the massive demand here is the strict density cap. With only 561 home sites planned for the entire footprint, ...
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